Trump made his most terrifying demand – ever – today, from India, and if you give me one minute, I’ll explain why this one could end constitutional government as we know it. He demanded that two Supreme Court justices recuse themselves from all Trump cases.

He is setting up a situation where he can ignore Supreme Court rulings.

With Trump, there has always been the belief that on any given day, if the truth about his relationships with Russia, his financial transactions – including sucking money out of the U.S., his financial relationship with Saudi Arabia, or even just what happened with Ukraine, if something real slipped out on any given day, it would overwhelm even the Republicans’ ability to keep him in office. There has also been the belief that Trump could ignore a close election because he’ll scream it’s rigged.

He has continually done everything in his power to cover-up his financial history, taxes, loans, and conflicts of interest, in a manner inconceivable for any prior president. He also will do anything in his power to ignore a close electoral defeat.

A huge part of our faith that we can fight Trump on either documents or elections involves suits to the Supreme Court demanding that Trump hand over information required to be handed over to Congress by law, or respect elections.

But our faith and the nation’s structure is based upon two essential presumptions: That a majority of the SCOTUS would enforce the balance of powers and essential structure of government, and that Trump would have to respect a direct Supreme Court order.

Now you’re ready:

The president of the United States on Monday demanded two Supreme Court justices recuse themselves from all cases related to his interests.

Forget Trump’s reasoning that the two (RBG and Sotomayor) must recuse. It is almost irrelevant, but his twisted reasoning is at the link. Focus on why this is earth-shaking.

There are four liberal justices on the Supreme Court, all of which hate Trump, and there is a conservative Chief Justice that surely hates Trump, and is more an institutionalist, whom we presume would want to preserve democracy. So why scream about two? He had a specific reason for Sotomayor and a more general fury about RBG.

Had he only screamed about Sotomayor,  it would mean that a potentially devastating Supreme Court case with one justice removed could come down 4-4, in which case the matter upholds whatever the appellate court below ruled. But having chosen “two,” it means that the number would be at a devastating 4-3.

Of course neither of those justices will recuse themselves.  So what’s the problem?

He is setting-up a situation where he’s going to ignore any order coming from the Supreme Court. His reasoning will be: “Because two justices with an obvious conflict ruled against me and shouldn’t have been in the case!! They are biased against Trump and should have let seven decide the case!!”

He will then ignore the ruling, and tell the Supreme Court to enforce their order, just like he ignored Congress. Of course, neither the Supreme Court, nor congress can enforce their orders because our government is set up such that the executive branch enforces the SCOTUS decisions. If Trump ignores the order, there is literally nothing that can be done, short of a roar from the public, congress and the court so extreme that it scares Trump enough to compel him to do it.

But by the time Trump ignores any SCOTUS order, the Right will be utterly convinced, through FOX, House congressional pets, McConnell, etc, that of course Trump is correct these justices should have recused, it’s obvious, and they’re totally against Trump. Of course he should ignore it!!

I could go on and on and on. But something inconceivable is coming, we’ve been the frog in the water pot. He led us and his cult to this point. He couldn’t have done it in year one, two, or three. But post-impeachment he can. The water is boiling now.

Trump is setting up his justifications for ignoring the Supreme Court. Just like he ignored the House.

So that’s that. Our nation is set-up with checks and balances. It is the only thing that keeps a president from doing whatever that president wants. If a president can justify ignoring both branches – and he has 50% of the nation (or close enough) totally believing him, he literally can do anything.

And if you’re thinking “We really have to vote this fcker out!” I would be forced to also point out that the election is going to be close, and if Trump loses, he will surely file a lawsuit, or simply say it was fraudulent and he must investigate. If we file a Gore v. Bush type of lawsuit, needing the SCOTUS to order that the election be respected, he can even ignore that because “two justices should have recused!”

No, it wouldn’t necessarily work. But have we yet forced Trump to do anything? Nope. He’s setting it up. He is going to destroy the United States, and set-up his dictatorship with him as all-powerful. The tax cases are coming in June, the election possibilities down the road, he’s setting it all up to ignore the checks.

He picked two justices.

Just keep that in your head, and roll it over and over. What is the only explanation? And what are the consequences?

It is his most ominous claim yet.

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Peace, y’all

Jason

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